1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to recording and/or reproducing information, for effectively processing a still picture, and more particularly, to a recording medium for storing virtual deletion information for preventing file extent information from excessively increasing when some of a data file is deleted by a user""s request, and recording and/or reproducing method and apparatus therefor.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 1 shows a connection structure for various kinds of information in a moving picture and moving picture data, in recording/reproducing audio and/or video data on a recordable and/or rewriteable recording medium, specifically, a digital versatile disk (DVD), and more precisely, it illustrates the relationship between program chain (PGC) information 11 for treating data logically, moving picture information 12 including video object (VOB) information, and a moving picture data file 13 in which actually compressed audio/video (A/V) data are recorded in VOB units.
First, terms used throughout the specification will now be described. Supposing a movie was recorded in first and second parts, the overall movie is a program chain (PGC) and the first and second parts are programs. Also, each program can be defined by further dividing the same into several cells called sub-units. The information in each cell can wholly or partially define a video object (VOB). In such an event, each cell is used as a basic accessing unit during reproduction, and the program and PGC are only the information for connectivity between a plurality of cells.
Also, since data is actually sub-divided into video object units (VOBUs) and recorded in a moving picture data file, the VOB information includes various kinds of information relating to the VOBU data, that is, VOBU #1, VOBU #2, . . . and the VOB data in the moving picture data file is accessed by the VOB information. Here, the VOB data is used as a random access unit of a disk recording/reproducing apparatus. The VOBU is based on a single GOP (Group of Pictures) in the case of an MPEG (Moving Picture Experts Group) video, and audio data corresponding to video data is collected, that is, A/V data is multiplexed into sectors, to constitute a VOBU.
The data format shown in FIG. 1 is concerned with the moving picture, in which the unit of actual data, the VOB, comprises moving picture data for a fixed period of time. Synchronization or encoding of A/V signals is performed in units of VOBs. However, in the case of a still picture, each VOB constitutes a still picture. When a VOB is designated in a cell structure, a cell is necessary for each still picture. Thus, as more still pictures are recorded, more information is added.
Generally, data errors may be generated if data is recorded on a recordable disk a predetermined number of times. Thus, there is a limit in the number of times for rewriting data on a disk. All information is stored in the memory of a controller for controlling the system for the purpose of limiting the number of recording times and rapidly accessing data. However, as described above, in the case of a still picture, if the amount of information is increased, much time is required for reading the information. Also, there is a limit to the amount of information that can be stored in a memory with a limited size. Accordingly, it is not possible to record a large-capacity still picture.
In a two-dimensional recording medium such as a disk, a file may be distributed in physically fragmented spaces to then be recorded, and information which connects the scattered areas is recorded in a file system as file extent information. File extent information is information for logically connecting a file having the scattered areas and generally represents the scattered areas sequentially as start positions and lengths of data. Referring to FIG. 2, for example, a file is distributed and recorded in two parts, each represented by a start position and length of data in the file extent information. If a portion indicated by xe2x80x9cAxe2x80x9d shown in FIG. 2 is deleted so that the file is distributed in three parts, the amount of file extent information is increased, as shown in FIG. 3.
In other words, as shown in FIG. 3, the amount of file extent information is determined according to the level of fragmentation of a file, irrespective of the size of the file. Therefore, when a plurality of still pictures are recorded in a file, if some still pictures are deleted by a user""s request, thus causing fragmentation of the file, the amount of the file extent information is sharply increased.
To solve the above problems, it is a first object of the present invention to provide a recording medium for grouping a plurality of large-capacity still pictures for the purpose of managing the same at a still picture group level, and for storing still picture group information containing information for virtually deleting a desired still picture.
It is a second object of the present invention to provide a recording medium for grouping a plurality of additional audio data other than original audio data added to still picture data, for the purpose of managing the same at an additional audio group level, and for storing additional audio group information containing information for virtually deleting additional audio data.
It is a third object of the present invention to provide a recording and/or reproducing method and apparatus for grouping a plurality of a large-capacity still pictures and incorporating virtual deletion information into the information managed at a still picture group level for the purpose of virtually deleting a desired still picture and original audio data corresponding thereto.
It is a fourth object of the present invention to provide a recording and/or reproducing method and apparatus for grouping a plurality of additional audio data relating to still pictures and incorporating virtual deletion information into the information managed at an additional audio group level for the purpose of virtually deleting the additional audio data corresponding to the virtually deleted still picture.
Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows and, in part, will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention.
To achieve the first object, there is provided a recording medium including a first region having a plurality of still pictures, and a second region having first virtual deletion information for the still pictures, and still picture group information for separating the still pictures in the first region into a predetermined maximum number of groups in order to manage the still pictures at a group level, wherein the first virtual deletion information is within the still picture group information, and if the first virtual deletion information is set to a virtual delete state, the corresponding still picture is not to be reproduced.
To achieve the second object, there is provided a method for recording and/or reproducing audio and/or video data on a recordable and/or rewriteable recording medium including (a) recording a plurality of input still pictures, and (b) separating the plurality of still pictures into a predetermined maximum number of groups, and recording still picture group information having first virtual deletion information for the respective still pictures set to a virtual delete state by a user and playback information related to reproduction.
Also, the method according to the invention further includes the steps of reading the still picture group data to be reproduced in accordance with the playback information, and calculating the position of a desired still picture in accordance with the read still picture group data and reproducing still picture data located at the calculated position, while not reproducing still picture data having the first virtual deletion information contained in the read still picture group data set to a virtual delete state.
The apparatus according to the present invention includes a recording processor for signal-processing a plurality of still pictures to be recorded in a first region of the recording medium, and a controller for controlling first virtual deletion information for still pictures set to a virtual delete state by a user, the first virtual deletion information contained within still picture group information for separating the still pictures in the first region into within a predetermined maximum number of groups in order to manage the still pictures at a group level, for generating playback information related to a reproduction order, and for controlling the generated playback information to be recorded in a second region of the recording medium.
According to another aspect of the invention, the apparatus further includes a playback processor for reproducing still picture data in the first region based on the still picture group information in the second region, while not reproducing still picture having the first virtual deletion information set to a virtual delete state.